The Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship is open to ambitious, research-savvy storytellers seeking to produce books, magazine features, documentaries, and podcasts that deepen the general public’s understanding of critical issues in education. Applicants with reporting experience in education or related fields, and educators with experience in journalism, are especially encouraged to apply.
Based at Columbia Journalism School, the Spencer Fellowship provides awardees with a stipend of up to $85,000, a travel and research budget of $7,500, a faculty mentor from the J-School, a faculty mentor who is expert in a relevant content area, and extensive networking opportunities. Additional support is available for selected applicants who make a compelling case to be paired with a one-on-one research partner. The fellowship covers one academic year. There are no academic prerequisites.
Applicants may pursue either a residential or a non-residential fellowship. For information about both, please see the About the Fellowship page.
The deadline to apply for the 2027-28 cohort of Spencer Fellows is 11:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 4, 2027.
Three applicants will be awarded fellowships. They will be notified in the spring.
NOTE: Applicants must use the online application. We cannot process applications that are submitted in any other form. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens or permanent resident/green card holders.
Required application materials include:
- A resume or CV with your professional and educational qualifications.
- A short narrative autobiography highlighting the personal and professional origins of your commitments to education and journalism.
- Up to four work samples that demonstrate your approach to using high-quality research to tell compelling education stories for general audiences (stories on related social issues will also be accepted). Work samples may include book excerpts, newspaper and magazine clips, radio and television broadcasts, podcast episodes, film and video excerpts, academic reports and journal articles, and other formats.
- A proposal essay describing the project you hope to pursue with a Spencer Fellowship. Judges look for ambitious, high-impact projects that draw on high-quality research and make use of narrative journalism techniques such as extensive interviewing and immersive reporting to explore timely, relevant, and under-explored topics in education. Please include descriptions of any related works already in progress and explain how you intend to reach general audiences with your work. All else being equal, judges will prioritize applicants who document a clear path to publish or broadcast work produced during the fellowship year. Examples include a letter of interest from a news organization, a book contract, a distribution deal with a podcast platform, or a broadcast commitment from a television or radio station. An applicant’s track record distributing ambitious work to mainstream audiences via established platforms will also be considered.
- A research plan describing how you will make use of Columbia University resources to materially aid your research during the fellowship year. University resources offered to all Spencer Fellows include expert mentorship from J-School and other faculty, access to Columbia University Libraries, a research & travel budget, and regular networking opportunities. Residential fellows may also sit in on university courses. Judges value specificity with regard to research questions, coursework plans, professors who might serve as valuable content-area mentors, and other relevant university resources.
- A brief statement explaining whether you seek a residential or non-residential fellowship and why. Residential fellows must live in New York City or its immediate vicinity during the fellowship year. They receive an $85,000 stipend. Non-residential fellows may live anywhere in the U.S. and are required to make several trips (airfare and hotel paid by the fellowship) to New York City during the fellowship year. They receive a $43,000 stipend. For the non-residential fellowship, judges will prioritize applicants who demonstrate a hardship in moving to New York City due to such barriers as caregiving responsibilities, job security, and financial concerns.
- Three letters of professional recommendation that attest to such qualities as your work ethic, personal character, facility with education research, creativity in storytelling, and capacity to complete ambitious work that can reach a broad audience. A documented commitment to publish/broadcast/distribute work produced during your fellowship year will count as one of your recommendation letters.
For further questions, contact director Sarah Carr, sec2002@columbia.edu, or recruiter Benjamin Herold, benjaminbherold@gmail.com.